Define Family
by XDestiny
Summary: When a young girl finds out her parents are splitting, she'll do everything she can to get her family back together without ruining her life.
1. Family

Define "Family"

Chapter One

I knew things were going wrong even before anyone said anything. No one had to say anything for me to realize what was happening to our family. It was obvious all along, but nothing took effect until that night.

It was my older brother, my older sister, my mom and dad, and I. We were sitting at the dining room table, eating the chicken my mother and sister had fixed. Mom thought of it because my dad loved her chicken and it was his birthday.

We all sang our happy birthday song, traditionally, and then mom brought in the very special birthday cake we had made together. He loved this, too, and it was always his favorite. Dad looked surprised, but we all knew that he knew what was coming up. Mom put it before him and he counted to three before blowing out all the candles.

It took him about three tries, but he finally made it. After he was done, we ate our food and then mom cut pieces of the cake for all of us.

"How is it, Dale?" My mother asked him, looking up at my dad as he tried out his cake.

He bit into it and mashed it around in his mouth. "It tastes different." He said.

"It tastes the same as any other time we made it." Mom said back. "Don't you agree, Tina?" She asked, looking over at my older sister.  
"Mom..." Tina said quietly.

"What? I'm just asking...because to me it tastes the same."

My brother Skye, taking the lead, stood up and brushed himself off. "How about presents first then cake after? I have a special present for dad." He smiled and walked out of the kitchen.

My mother eyed dad suspiciously, but she got up too and followed my brother. When we all went into the living room, dad gasped at all the presents that lay before him. Five presents were on the floor by the couch. One from each of us, then one from his brother, David. He had sent it In a couple of days earlier; he always does.

"Open mine last." Skye said.

"Me too!" Tina said quickly.

"You can open mine first, dad." I said, offering my present to him. He took it from my hands, examined it, and then shook it around.

"Sounds nice." He said. He started to unwrap it then open the box that held his present. It was a beamer clock, something that my dad has always wanted. He smiled and hugged me, then put it around his wrist.

"I love it sweetie." He said, showing it off to the rest of them.

"Open mom's next!" Tina said, not taking on what had happened before.

Mom bent down and picked out a present box with red wrapping and a blue ribbon. My dad started to tear off the wrapping and he revealed a large shirt with a blue horse on the side.

He stood speechless as he looked a the shirt mom had given him. Mom didn't smile; she just looked blankly at him to see what he would say.

"It's...blue." He said, looking at the shirt, then up to her.

"I know it is, Dale. You said you loved the color blue." She folded her arms.

"I know that, Meg, but what's up with the horse."

"The horse is part of the company. What do you want me to do...rip it off?" She said sarcastically.

"Well...you know I wanted the orange and white cut-offs."

"I know you wanted a lot of things," She said, "But you never got them before." She unfolded her arms and took the t-shirt out of his hands.

"It looks fine, dad." Skye said, his fingers shaking.

"I'll just go buy myself the other one then..." He reached for the t-shirt, but mom put it behind her back.

"No, no, it's alright. I'll just go to the store and spend some more money on a t-shirt you couldn't have. I'll buy you everything single that you want."

"Meg..." He said, but mom cut him off.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with it before." She got up and put the t-shirt back into the box, obviously hurt.

"I think the cake is getting cold...we better go eat it up." Tina said.

"Cake is already cold." But before I could stop myself from answering, I had finally understood what Tina meant. She gave me an annoyed expression and got up.

"No! I'm just going to go out in the middle of the night to go buy your dad the t-shirt that he always wanted and couldn't wait to have." She got up and started to walk to the door.

"Mom! We can do that later...I could do that later!" Skye offered, but she shook her head.

"Megan, this is not helping." My dad got up, knocking over the present from Uncle David.

"Nothing's helping, Dale! Nothing ever helped." Then mom burst into tears. She ran out the door and to her car, hoping inside and driving off.

I really wanted to make her feel better. I really wanted to make everyone feel better. But from the looks of what had happened tonight, nothing was going to get any better.


	2. Please

Define "Family"

Chapter Two

Dad didn't fall asleep very well that night, and we he finally did, he hadn't turned off the TV or lights from downstairs, so I had to do it all.

I woke up the next morning from the noise of grease popping. I knew it was mom because she was the only person who could really cook. I got out of bed, looking around my room and the big mess on the floor. I didn't hear mom come in the house last night...maybe she had came in this morning.

I walked out into the hallway, looking at Skye's door on the way to the stairs. His door was closed and it seemed silent inside his room. He ran straight up to his room and locked his door when mom ran out of the house. I wonder if he was really depressed?

I walked downstairs and followed the smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen. I peeked around the corner to find mom fully dressed fixing bacon for breakfast. I rubbed my eyes and accidentally sneezed. When she heard me she turned around, fully surprised.

"Good morning." I said.

She didn't say anything and continued to cook. She then lifted up the pan and put the bacon in a plate and set it on the kitchen table. She sat down in a chair and leaned back, not taking a piece of the bacon.

"Is...everyone still asleep?" I asked, guessing she had been up for a while.

"Yes, Lyn, everyone's asleep." She then took a bacon strip and stuffed it in her mouth, not nibbling like usual.

"Dad and Skye went straight to their rooms once you left. I think Skye was mad." I sat down in the chair next to her and got a piece of bacon, too.

"Why wouldn't he be?" She asked.

"Because there's nothing to be mad about...things happen and we get over them. You told me that before; I believed you." I looked hopefully at her. I wanted her to say things would be ok, but I was stupid enough to believe it.

"Love is when you are happy, Lyn. And if you aren't happy...then you aren't in love." She got up, trying to cover her tears and walked into the living room.

This made me think for a while, and her words shocked me. I jumped up and ran back upstairs to my sister's room. I banged on her door, but no one answered, so I went over to Skye's room instead. Someone had to answer...I needed someone.

I was surprised when I heard movement inside his room and a sudden bang of loud music came from his room. I sighed and banged, both fists, on his door, screaming for him to answer me.

"Skye! Skye, answer me now! I need you!" I said, banging on and on.

Finally his door opened and he looked eye to eye at me.

"What do you want?" He asked, clearly angry.

"I need to talk to you. It's important." I said, hoping he'd let me in.

He held his door open wide and I walked inside. He had on his black light with the red lines on it. He was wearing black, baggy jeans, a white t-shirt and a black cap that said "Lifeless". Everyone tells me that they think he's cute...but I always disagree with them. How can I say so anyways? He's two years older then me and he's my brother.

I sat down on his bed while he lay down on the floor, looking up at his ceiling. I wondered how he could see with this little light, but I didn't have much time to ask.

"So what is it? What do you want?" He put his hands over his stomach and closed his eyes.

"I wanted to know...if you knew before. Before it happened." I wondered if what I asked made sense, but I didn't think it over to myself.

"Knew what before?" He asked smugly.

I didn't want to have to answer. I wished I didn't even know the answer. "Knew that mom wasn't happy. I think she is happy...it's just that she had gotten mad yesterday."

Skye chuckled and looked up at me. "It's been obvious for a while, Lyn, you just don't want to have to realize it."

I grimly answered him. "Of course I don't want to have to realize it! I want mom to be happy. I want her to be happy with dad, not by herself." I didn't feel any better from talking to him.

Skye sat up and shook his head. "I didn't want to have to believe it either. I don't want dad to leave..."

I didn't give him much time to say anything else. "Dad is not leaving! You're just too stupid to realize it!" I got up and walked over to the door.

"I only accept the truth now because I do not want to be hurt even more later. None of his want dad to leave, especially me, but how will you feel when you find out the truth, Lyn? How will it feel to have pushed the truth behind for so long and know that answer has always been right there?" He seemed angry again and he got up to turn off his music. He kicked his chair then yelled at me to get out.

I didn't have to argue with him because I was already leaving. I ran downstairs and into the living room where mom was watching TV. Her face we blank and she seemed depressed.

"Dad is not leaving, Skye is wrong!" I yelled right in front of her.

She turned over to me, her eyes wide. "Lyn..."

I ran over to her and sat by her on the couch, crying my eyes out to death. She held me and shook me to make me feel better.

"What's happening, mom, how long has this been going on?"

She looked sadly down into my eyes, but she did not answer. Instead she put my head back onto her shoulder and rubbed my back.

"It's ok, Lyn, things will be alright." She held me and sang me a song, tears running down my face.

She said that it was all going to be all right, and no matter how much I tried to believe her, I knew that it wasn't.


End file.
